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Tech · Sony · 2023

Sony WF-1000XM5

The reference pick on Android when you want noise cancelling and sound quality in one shot.

The phone in your pocket rewrites this order — #3

Overall

8.1

out of 10

Axis scores

Tech is scored on these 5 axes. The total is their plain average — nothing is weighted.

Sony WF-1000XM5 — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Sony WF-1000XM5: Performance 9.0, Value 7.2, Durability 7.8, Ease of use 8.5, Design 8.0.PerformanceSony WF-1000XM5 — Performance 9.0 out of 109.0ValueSony WF-1000XM5 — Value 7.2 out of 107.2DurabilitySony WF-1000XM5 — Durability 7.8 out of 107.8Ease of useSony WF-1000XM5 — Ease of use 8.5 out of 108.5DesignSony WF-1000XM5 — Design 8.0 out of 108.0Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Codecs
SBC, AAC, LDAC
Battery
About 8 hrs with ANC on
Weight
5.9 g per bud
Water resistance
IPX4

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • An Android phone where the high-bitrate codec actually opens up
  • You like getting into an EQ and setting it yourself
  • A long transit commute where isolation earns its keep

Skip it if

  • You only use an iPhone, which strands the LDAC advantage
  • Small ears where the tips struggle to seal

The XM5 generation shrank considerably from the XM4, fixing the most common complaint about the older model. Smaller ears now get a workable fit, and the included foam-style tips seal better than standard silicone for most people. In-ear cancellation depends almost entirely on getting that seal.

On isolation alone these sit close enough to the best in-ear designs that ranking them is splitting hairs. Sony’s app does more than the competition’s: a proper EQ, ambient sound in twenty steps instead of a toggle, and adaptive behavior that changes mode based on whether you are walking, sitting, or traveling.

LDAC is the codec advantage and it is Android-only in practice. On an iPhone these operate at AAC, which removes one of the two main reasons to choose them.

Battery is around eight hours with cancellation on, strong for the size, and the case adds roughly two more charges. Wireless charging is supported.

The touch controls are large and easy to trigger accidentally when adjusting the fit, though they can be reconfigured or disabled per-bud in the app. Multipoint works with two devices, but historically could not run LDAC and multipoint simultaneously. You choose one or the other, an annoyance for anyone switching between a laptop and a phone all day.

For an Android user who wants one pair to handle a commute, calls, and music, this is the default recommendation.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.